Make your bathroom bigger without remodeling

Filed under: Bargains, Home, Real Estate

Need a bigger bathroom but don’t have the time or money for a complete remodel? Then consider small-scale changes that create more room, better storage and a more functional floor plan.

• Smart sinks: Try a pedestal-style or wall-mounted corner sink for functional charm and more floor space, or install a vessel sink mounted on a scaled-down cabinet.
• Toilets with flat tank tops: A flat-top toilet tank gives you another storage spot, whether you place organizers directly on top of it or take advantage of the wall space above for a hanging cabinet or shelving.
• Space-saving showers and tubs: A comfy curved quadrant shower enclosure occupies a corner and at least a square foot less of floor space, and smaller tubs with deep-set seating offer a great soak.
  Lower-profile faucets and fixtures: Accessorize beautifully as you open up a bathroom’s visual space with stylish low-profile designs.
• Converted furnishings: Refurbished stand-alone storage cabinets, small tables converted into carts, and other vintage finds add personality while sequestering linens and toiletries.
• Medicine cabinets: Among of the greatest bathroom space-savers of all time, these are easy to install and can be found in looks ranging from beveled-glass retro to contemporary sleek.
• Towel stowage and storage: If you lack a linen closet or surplus cabinet space, keep things accessible and neat with a multitiered, hotel-style rack near the shower or tub, towel bars mounted on the back of the entry door, or a lineup of handy hooks.
• Wall-mounted radiator/warming rack: You’ll enjoy the comfort of radiant heat and the luxury of warm towels with this European-style fixture.
• Shower or tub shelf: Move toiletries out of other storage zones to a rust-proof, easy-to-clean shelf mounted in a shower or just above the edge of a tub.

Tom Kraeutler is the Home Improvement Editor for AOL and co-author of My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure. He delivers home improvement tips each week as host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated home improvement radio program.

Make your bathroom bigger without remodeling originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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